As a child I was fascinated with anatomy and physiology, which I was able to study in depth due to having hunting and fishing as part of our family activities. I was given Gray's Anatomy for Christmas one year and I poured over the images, especially of the heart and vascular networks that provide life-sustaining circulation. It should be no surprise that now I'm a professor in veterinary medicine as a DVM and also have my PhD in cardiovascular physiology and pharmacology. Perhaps the selection of this book will foster in others the same curiosity and fascination that I have for science and the wonders of nature.